


Who Will Catch Me If I Fall?

by BexieID



Category: Casualty (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-05-26
Packaged: 2018-11-05 04:19:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 624
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11005827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BexieID/pseuds/BexieID
Summary: A very short and sweet thing on my take on how Dylan is coping after Cal's death.TW: minor character death, panic attack.





	Who Will Catch Me If I Fall?

_“Ethan, we’re very sorry for your loss. Cal was a good man and a fine Doctor”_

_“Why does everyone keep talking about him like he was some kind of hero? He was the bane of my life and he goes and pulls it out of the bag in the end by taking a knife for me”_

_“Grieving doesn’t come with a set of rules. I think your reaction was very human”_

_“Was he in any pain?”_

He hadn't meant to lie to Ethan about Cal being unconscious when he'd found him lying outside in the rain. However, Dylan found the words coming out of his mouth before he could stop himself. Ethan, who had been through so much, losing the only family he had. No, he couldn't tell him that Cal’s last words were concern that his brother was ok. It hadn’t comforted his teenage self when he was told of his mother’s last words: **“Where’s Dylan? Is he ok?”** Her love for him, even though she knew she was dying; Cal’s love for Ethan. Pleading to his mother to not die whilst waiting for the ambulance. Her promise to him that she wasn’t going to die; His promise to Cal that he wouldn’t let him die. This is why he lied. To protect himself like he always did. To not get involved.

*****

Weeks later, Dylan went into his consultant interview without a care in the world. He was almost at the stage of telling Sam where to shove the job. It wasn't the first time he'd left Holby because of someone named Sam after all. However, Dylan was comfortable here in Holby. Lofty was back and he hoped they might enjoy a soufflé together again.

“One final thing Dr Keogh” Sam actually smirked at him. "What was this about the number 4? Tampering with equipment to avoid working in bay 4? You walked out of Resus whilst treating a patient?" Dylan's brows furrowed as Sam asked.

"You do realise that Cal died in bay 4?" Sam looked so smug saying that. Almost, like he was baiting Dylan to react. Which Dylan wanted to do but thought better of it.

"I suppose you're going to tell me that the time of death had a 4 in it as well?" Dylan countered. Sam looked back through his notes and frowned. "That will be all Dr Keogh".

*****

Dylan didn't know how to react to the interview. He knew that his OCD would no doubt be brought up but the way Sam suggested it was his fault Cal died. It made him feel sick. He practically ran into the toilets, braced himself over the sink, finding it difficult to breathe. No, this can't be happening. He knew he had to remain calm and focus on breathing. He still couldn't breathe though. Think. All those years of medical training and he couldn’t remember something as basic as this.

Dylan slid down onto the floor head between his knees. He hadn't noticed the figure that exited a cubicle. "Dylan!" The figure crouched down next to him and began to rub circles on his back. "Breathe in 1 2 3 4 5 and breathe out 1 2 3 4 5". They continued this for a few minutes when Dylan looked up at the familiar curly haired face. "B...ben".

"Don't talk, just breathe it out". Once Dylan's breathing settled, Lofty enveloped him into a hug. Lofty was surprised when Dylan hugged him back and couldn't keep the goofy smile from his face. "4th time lucky I guess?" Dylan looked at Lofty and then lent back into the hug. Lofty planted a kiss on Dylan's forehead. "You don't have to tell me what's happened, but I'm getting you out of here".

**Author's Note:**

> I said it was short and sweet. More like my thoughts rather than any kind of real story, but hey-ho! I wasn't actually going to put Lofty in this. Was going to be Max or David finding Dylan. I also haven't written anything regarding Ethan finding out Dylan lied to him. I might do, and that will be short and sweet too.


End file.
